Grey’s Anatomy fans have been through a lot during the 22-season (and counting) run of the medical drama. They’ve invested a lot of time, energy, and, let’s face it, emotion in the show and, naturally, want to see it end on a high note… or, at least, a satisfying one. Luckily, the series finale won’t be happening any time soon, as the show was recently renewed for Season 23 at ABC, but still, everything ends, and Grey’s fans have been steeling themselves for that eventuality for years now.
In addition to positing what might be the ideal ending and offering some grim predictions for the show’s finish, some Grey’s watchers have started talking about what kind of ultimate ending absolutely wouldn’t work for the show.
On the show’s Reddit fan page, one fan asked others to weigh in on what could transpire in the last episode of Grey’s Anatomy that would be a total letdown, and some of the responses were fascinating.
While some were pretty obvious — like swearing off the old “it was all a dream” trope — others were against the very endings that some have long been predicting for the show, like Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) getting Alzheimer’s. One fan painted that picture in the thread like so: “Mer doing a voice over of the ‘final scene’ saying ‘The carousel never stops turning,’ flips to her in a home due to having Alzheimer’s with Zola (Aniela Gumbs), Ellis (Kate Burton), and Bailey (Chandra Wilson), and Zola saying ‘I know mom.’”
That would certainly be a full-circle moment, literally and figuratively speaking, and even if they don’t like it, some fans think it’s inevitable. “Any combination of Bailey, Meredith, or Richard (James Pickens Jr.) dying. Richard deserves to retire, Bailey should be ending as the chief for good, and I want to see Meredith working alongside Zola for her internship, if not just mentoring her from retirement. I also really don’t want to see them go the route of Meredith with Alzheimer’s and Zola reading her diaries to her as the show ends, but I feel like that’s going to come full circle,” one wrote.
Another fan offered this take: “If it’s anyone’s diaries or I see Zola rock up for residency, I will throw the TV.” While some fans have been hoping that the story concludes with Zola becoming the third generation of brilliant Grey women to run the hospital, that just won’t do for this commenter.
Others have some specific demands for how to walk away without disappointment. For example, one contributor claimed that if “Cristina doesn’t show up” before it’s all said and done, they’ll be unhappy. (Sandra Oh, fortunately, is seemingly starting to come around to the idea of a return.)
Of course, ending any series is a daunting task, and it’s hard to imagine how in the world Grey’s could finally finish and leave no fan unhappy. But the unforgivable sin would be, as one fan put it, “news of a cancellation without the chance of closure. I’ve made it here so far… so it better ha[ve] an end.”
